1. The Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cooling arrangement for the active cooling of a laser-active solid-state material, to a laser arrangement and to a method for the active cooling of a laser-active solid-state material.
2. Background and Relevant Art
In order to avoid excessively high temperatures in laser-active solid-state materials, for example YAG (yttrium-aluminum-garnet), during the laser operation, it is known to cool the laser-active materials by applying a coolant.
Corresponding devices and methods for cooling laser-active solid-state materials, in particular laser crystals and the like, are known for example from DE 27 51 825 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,748 and DE 35 22 443 A1.
DE 27 51 825 A1 describes a method in which the laser medium is arranged for cooling in a coolant bath and, by circulation of the coolant, is flowed over longitudinally thereby.
A similar method is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,748.
DE 35 22 443 A1 discloses a method using combined gas/liquid cooling, wherein the direct cooling of the laser medium is carried out using a cooling gas.
In the known methods, unfavorable or insufficient cooling powers and cooling properties and gas bubbles in the (liquid) cooling medium may sometimes occur. In particular, in the known methods for liquid cooling of the laser media, the occurrence of gas bubbles in the cooling medium, particularly on the surfaces of the laser medium, cannot be fully avoided, so that impairments in the cooling or in the output stability of the laser can arise, particularly when the laser material is, for example, optically pumped through the liquid coolant.